If you own a newer Honda CR-V with a 1.5T turbo, expect to get a recall letter in your mailbox soon.
It takes a lot of owners, complaints, evidence, and research from owners to Honda before Honda typically starts moving towards an official recall (as most automakers do) and it looks like the outcry of several Honda CR-V owners has reached a tipping point. As per Car Scoops in their update on rising oil levels in the crankcase of Honda 1.5T engines, Honda hasn’t officially issued a recall but admitted to the problem and is working on a fix.
Symptoms of this rising oil level typically involve owners first smelling excess gas emitting from their tailpipes and, upon checking oil levels, finding that their overall level of oil increased. Typically, this happens in colder climate areas when Honda owners with the 1.5T engine don’t drive for long distances. With the engine not given enough time to warm up, and with the nature of these new direct injection fuel injectors, as reported by Car Scoops, “spraying fuel on cylinder walls”, the gas doesn’t have time to properly evaporate and/or combust leading to gas seeping into the oil supply.
Reuters Reports that this has been an issue since the beginning of 2018 when Honda first tried to start a recall in China for its 1.5T engines with a fix affecting 350,000 Honda CR-Vs. A watchdog group following Honda’s recall was not satisfied with Honda’s recall procedure and summarily rejected their recall plan. Suffice to say, Honda knew and is aware of this problem.
Along with unburnt fuel smells, further symptoms include engines stalling out due to sensors getting fouled with excess fuel and just plain discontent from owners with issues with a brand new vehicle.
What particularly irks me about this situation is Honda had the courage to say,
“the irregular high oil level condition is not as widespread as some internet chatter may imply.”
If that’s the case then why the hurry to fix it in China and not in the United States?
I generally agree with the NHTSA’s argument that any car stalling is a major issue that needs to be dealt with.
I say get on with the recall, Honda, and take the “L.”
